#eastmanosteus

[daily-mspaint-paleoart]

21/09/2025 Eastmanosteus + Reef

[yee-qi]

i'm really perspectivesing out rn...with this, the Devonian Perspectives series is done! Carboniferous coming next....

"Small Fish In a Big Pond" Ichthyostega/Eastmanosteus Devonian, 362 million years ago, Rheic Ocean

An early tetrapodomorph, Ichthyostega was amongst the first vertebrates to transition to land (and I mean amongst!). With eight toes on its hind feet and gills, it still shared many traits with earlier lobe-finned fish. Unlike today's crawling tetrapods, Ichthyostega's limb arrangement was best suited to flopping around like a seal.

Although it was so basal on the tetrapod family tree, Ichthyostega was already far removed from the ocean. This young individual has learned this the hard way after a storm washed it out to sea.

Eastmanosteus is a dunkleosteid placoderm. Unlike its bigger relative, Dunkleosteus, Eastmanosteus was built more like a shark as opposed to some submarine tank. These two are investigating the strange nub-finned animal that's floundering about in their domain. With guillotines for mouths, even a test bite would be lethal.

This is an entry in my Perspectives series! Check out #perspectives on my blog for more.

[he-who-needs-to-be-silenced]

Eastmanosteus, the second piece of the placoderms in the sky series

Also, tomorrow (1 hour, 36 minutes) is my birthday

Well more specific 12:58 am Eastern Daylight Saving Time